Club for Growth joins GOP to save the establishment and destroy conservatives

While many disagree with me, I fully expect the Democrats to win big in November and to retake the majority in the House and possibly the Senate. Though doing so primarily to fill their campaign coffers, even GOP leadership has been sounding the alarm about this probable outcome.

There are many reasons for the upcoming election apocalypse, such as: Trump’s historically low job approval numbers, Republicans breaking every major campaign promise, and the fact that the past two years of GOP control in Washington has been one of the most unproductive legislatures in history. But this is only part of the reason for their upcoming defeat.

More than anything else, the reason Trump and the GOP are likely to lose big in November boils down to their complete abandonment of conservative values and their goal to wipe out the conservative base of the party.

Mitch McConnell has always hated conservatives, making it his personal goal to crush them whenever they challenged one of his establishment buddies. When he was House Speaker, John Boehner was so fearful of conservatives that he denied them committee assignments if they refused to toe the party line.

Within Washington, these attacks have succeeded in rebranding conservatism in the House, and they have led to recent Boehner-esque rule changes punishing conservatives when they get out of line. But the disease has spread and is now infecting organizations outside of Congress we used to rely on to be a voice for the conservative cause.

Now comes word that the Club for Growth — a so-called conservative organization working for things like free trade, limited government, a balanced budget amendment, and school choice — will be working to save the GOP establishment and will be spending millions of dollars on about a dozen races for the US House and Senate.

This sudden announcement comes on the heels of a rumor that the GOP is instructing conservative groups like Club for Growth to abandon certain House races in Iowa and California because they are lost causes.

Little birdie tells me conservative outside groups are being told to give up on contested House races in California and Iowa, where there are multiple swing seats GOP needs to hold onto the House.

The GOP attack on conservatives has destroyed the Party of Reagan, and it’s now destroying parts of the conservative movement outside of Washington. And even though Trump and the GOP face imminent defeat in November, I’m sure they’re smiling on the inside at the sight of the demise of conservatism.

Legislators tell Allen West: Next version of First Step Act will cut loopholes

Last week, a handful of conservatives, including Lt. Col. Allen West and Conservative Review’s Daniel Horowitz, went after the bipartisan First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill that has the backing of the President and many conservative lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Our complaint: why would the GOP support a bill that releases violent criminals and illegal immigrants?

According to legislative proponents of the bill, protections and benefits for both of these groups of felons have been eliminated in the next version of the bill that will reach the Senate floor. They reached out to West over the weekend to let them know they heard the concerns and are addressing them.

The First Step Act is supported by many conservatives and law enforcement groups, including the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the National District Attorneys Association. There are other proposals offered by those on the far left under the same banner of “criminal justice reform” that would release people from prison without regard to the danger they pose, including illegal immigrants and serious violent offenders. We must remember that there are some folks who are, well, as the ol’ folks would say, “just bad.” Additionally, some left-wing professors even propose abolishing all prisons partly based on their notion that the system is racist in nature. Hmm, I tend to believe that skin color or race has nothing to do with a person deciding to break the law. I just do not want us to go down the path of having criminals believe that there are no consequences, ramifications, for their actions and behaviors.

The legislators echoed our concerns and said the version that is currently available doesn’t reflect the changes that cut the loopholes. They say it will be impossible for these two groups – serious violent offenders and criminal illegal immigrants – to get the benefits of the bill. Many felons will be released early. Future felons will be given lighter sentences. That makes sense for many, but by no means should anyone in either of the two most dangerous groups receive sentence reductions, according to the letter to West.

My Take

Call me cynical, but lately I’ve changed my general rules regarding promises of politicians. It used to echo President Reagan’s stance on nuclear disarmament: “Trust but verify.” I now have to go with a more adversarial stance on political promises: “Show me proof, then we’ll talk.”

When the legislation is made available to the public, many will take a close look at it. I’ll personally be checking to see if there are any loopholes that would put violent offenders or criminal illegal immigrants back on the street sooner. If so, it’s a no-go for me.

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Hundreds search rubble in California for human remains

PARADISE, Calif. (AP) — The search for remains of victims of the devastating Northern California wildfire took on a new urgency Monday as rain in the forecast threatened to complicate those efforts while also bringing relief to firefighters.

Hundreds of crews and volunteers were searching the ash and rubble where homes stood before flames engulfed the Sierra foothills town of Paradise and surrounding communities, killing at least 77 people in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century.

The fire has destroyed more than 10,500 homes while burning 234 square miles (606 sq. kilometers). It was 65 percent contained.

The rain expected to arrive Wednesday could cause wet ash to flow down steep inclines in the mountainous region, forecasters said.

Rescue workers wore white coveralls, hard hats and masks as they poked through debris, searching for bone fragments before rain could wash them away or turn loose, dry ash into thick paste.

A team of 10 volunteers accompanied by a cadaver dog went from house to house in the charred landscape. Some went to homes where they had received tips that someone might have died.

They used sticks to move aside debris and focused on vehicles, bathtubs and what was left of mattresses for possible signs of victims.

When no remains were found, they spray-painted a large, orange “0″ near the house and moved on.

Robert Panak, a volunteer on a team from Napa County, said he was trying to picture each house before it burned and imagine where people might have taken shelter.

“I just think about the positives, bringing relief to the families, closure,” Panak said.

The search area is huge and the fire burned many places to the ground, creating a landscape unique to many search-and- rescue personnel, said Joe Moses, a commander with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, who is helping oversee the effort.

“Here we’re looking for very small parts and pieces, and so we have to be very diligent and systematic,” he said Friday.

Sheriff Kory Honea said it was possible that the exact death toll from the blaze would never be known. He also questioned whether the search for remains could be completed by midweek when the rain is forecast.

“As much as I wish that we could get through all of this before the rains come, I don’t know if that’s possible,” he said.

About 1,000 names remain on a list of people unaccounted for more than a week after the fire began in Butte County about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north of San Francisco.

Authorities don’t believe all those on the list are missing and the number dropped by 300 on Sunday as more people were located or got in touch to say they weren’t missing.

On Sunday afternoon, more than 50 people gathered at a memorial for the victims at First Christian Church in Chico, where a banner on the altar read, “We will rise from the ashes.”

People hugged and shed tears as Pastor Jesse Kearns recited a prayer for firefighters, rescuers and search teams: “We ask for continued strength as they are growing weary right now,” Kearns said.

Paul Stavish, who retired three months ago from a Silicon Valley tech job and moved to Paradise, placed a battery-powered votive candle on the altar as a woman played piano and sang “Amazing Grace.”

Stavish, his wife and three dogs escaped the fire, but their house is gone. He said he was thinking of the dead and mourning for the warm, tight-knit community.

“This is not just a few houses getting burned,” he said. “The whole town is gone.”

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CNN files for new hearing as White House sets paper trail to demonstrate due process

Judging from news reports last week when a judge ordered the White House to return CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s hard pass, many were under the impression the drama was over. A closer look at the ruling shows his troubles were fixed temporarily. Now, the White House has told Acosta his hard pass would be revoked again in two weeks.

CNN has asked the U.S. District Court for another emergency hearing to extend the restraining order and compel the White House to maintain his pass.

“The White House is continuing to violate the First and 5th Amendments of the Constitution,” the network said in a statement. “These actions threaten all journalists and news organizations. Jim Acosta and CNN will continue to report the news about the White House and the President.”

Contrary to popular belief, the temporary restraining order issued by Judge Timothy J. Kelly had nothing to do with the 1st Amendment. The judge issued the order because Acosta was not given due process, a 5th Amendment violation. This is why the White House immediately sent a letter to Acosta telling him they intended to suspend his hard pass again once the restraining order expired.

This is the start of a “paper trail” that helps the White House establish due process. In other words, they are contending that by explaining in writing why they revoked his pass originally, they are laying the groundwork for acceptable due process to satisfy Acosta’s 5th Amendment rights.

My Take

This may actually be enough to count as due process, assuming he is allowed to formally challenge the assertions of the letter. What’s more likely going to happen is that the White House will establish rules of conduct that can be used as grounds for suspending or revoking press credentials. If that’s the case, it’s very likely the White House will have to wait for Acosta to act out again before suspending him.

None of this has to do with the 1st Amendment, which has not been ruled on by a judge.

No matter what happens, Acosta is getting his wish. Unlike most reporters who do their job of reporting the news, Acosta likes to be the news. He craves attention. Whether he keeps his pass or not, he’ll maintain his victim status and remain in the spotlight.